Hearse



(N6 Model.)

-' Y C. EDWARDS..

HBARSB.

No. 521,647. vPatented June 19, 1894.

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UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES EDWARDS, OE FAGGS MANOR, PENNSYLVANIA. f

HEARSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,647, dated J' une19, l1894.

Application led March 22, 1894:. Serial No. 504,661. (No model.)

To al@ whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, CHARLES EDWARDS, a

I citizen of the United States, and a resident of Faggs Manor, Chestercounty, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hearses; and my preferred manner of carrying out theinvention 1s set forth in the following full, clear, and eX- aci',ydescription, terminating with claims particularly specifying thenovelty.

This invention relates to carriages and wagons, and more especially tothat class thereof known as hearses; and the object of the same is toeffect certain improvements in the base of the hearse. v

To this end the invention consists in providingthe faceof said base witha number of spikes or pointed pins rising from it so as to receive thecoffin and prevent its slipping, and also to provide a pair of rollersmounted on suitable supports and adapted to be raised through slots insaid base to a horizontal line above the points of the pins so that thecoiin can be removed when desired.

The invention further consists in the specific details of constructionof the mechanism for moving said rollers-all as hereinafter more fullydescribed and as illustrated in the drawings, wherein` Figure l is acentral longitudinal section of a hearse made in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the base of the hearse. Inboth these Views one roller is shown as raised and the other as lowered.Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of certain parts.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter B designates the base orbottom of an ordinary hearse carrying a stationary roller S let into itsrear end about where shown and as usual, so that the coffin can bereadily passed over said base in the well known manner; and rising fromthe face 0f the base are a number of pins or sharp points P. This baseis transversely slotted as at T, and within these slots are located thetwo rollers R which are adapted to be raised by the mechanism describedbelow so that their upper sides will stand in a 5o S and along over thetwo rollers R, and after reaching its p roper place said two rollers Rare dropped so that the coffin is lowered onto the pins which embed itsbottom and prevent its slipping. When it is desired to remove thecoffin, the rollers R are again raised so as to lift the coffin off thepins P, and it can then be readily withdrawn in a manner which will beclear.

To the bottom of the base B at suitable pointsare secured caps l each ofwhich embraces a T 2 at one end of a lever 3, and said lever islaterally enlarged as atl to provide a drm bearing for the trunnion ofthe roller R. At the opposite extremity 'from the T the lever has an eye5 of a size to receive the crank 6 at one extremity of a rod 7. The bodyof this rod passes under a hanger 8 depending from the base B (andpreferably having T- shaped ends 8 engaged under caps 1 as seen at theleft of Fig. 2), and the rod 7 extends thence along the length of theroller R to its other end where the construction is precisely4 the same.At about its center the rod 7 has an arm 9 projecting rigidly from itsbody at an angle of about twenty-two degrees beyond the plane of thecranks 6 continued through the body 7. In the drawings I have shown twoof the rollers R supported by mechanism of this construction, and thearms 9 are con- 4 nected by a rod l0 so as to cause them to move inunison.

2O` is a lever pivoted at 2l to the bottom of the base B and connectedbya pitman 11 with the pivot between the rod lO and the rear arm 9-thslever and all the mechanism being completely hidden by the base anddepending sides D thereof.

All parts of this device are of the desired [OO Y to the rear. Thismotion draws each arm 9 to the rear and with it the body 7 of the rod,and said body slides to the rear under the hanger 8 until it strikes theupright portion S of said hanger. Meanwhile the crank 6 at each end ofthe rod is forcing the eye of its lever upward and causing the lever toswing around the pivot formed by its T- head 2 within the cap l. Thismotion raises the bearing 4 which carries with it the trunnion of theroller, and as the mechanism at both ends of the roller move in unisonthe body of the roller will be raised and projected through the slot T.The upright portion 8 of the hanger stands a little in rear of the eye 5of each lever 3, and hence when the rod 7 reaches this portion the crankhas passed bya true vertical position and the parts will remain at rest.The Collin is then passed over the stationary roller S and shoved overthe rollers R above the points of the pins P. The lever 2O is then movedin the opposite direction whereby the rod 7 is shoved along within thehanger 8 until it passes a vertical line beneath the cranks 6, and theweight of the coffin will then automatically depress the rollers whilethe coffin sinks and embeds itself upon the pins I. The fact that thearm 9 stands at an angle to the cranks 6 permits a return movement bydrawing on the rod l0 when it is desired to again raise the rollers forthe purpose of withdrawing the coin. All connections are preferably bybolts and screws in order that the parts may be removed as for repair.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a hearse, the combination with a basehaving transverse slots, pointed pins rising from said base, and aroller at the rear end of the base; of levers pivoted beneath the base,rollers journaled in said levers and standing within the slots in thebase, and means substantially as described for swinging the levers toproject the rollers through the slots when desired and raise them to aline above the points of the pins, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a hearse, the combination with a base having transverse slots,pointed pins rising from said base, and a roller at the rear end of thebase; of levers pivoted beneath the base, rollers journaled in saidlevers and standing within the slots in the base, a hand-lever alsopivoted beneath the base, and connections substantially as describedbetween said hand-lever and pivoted levers for swinging the latter whendesired to project said rollers through the slots to a line above thepoints of the pins, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with aslotted base, caps secured to said base, levers having T-heads at oneend pivoted within said caps beneath the of a rod having cranks at itsextremities journaled in eyes in the free ends of said levers, hangersdepending from the base beneath the body of the rod, and means forswlnging the body of the rod, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with aslotted base, levers pivoted at one end beneath the base, and a rollerstanding within said slot and having trunnions jonrnaled in the levers;of a rod having cranks at its extremities journaled 1n eyes in the freeends of said levers, hangers depending from the base beneath the body ofthe rod and each having one upright end beyond the transverse line ofsaid eyes, and means for swinging the body of the rod, as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with aslotted base, caps se cured to said base, levers having T-heads at oneend pivoted within said caps beneath the base and provided with lateralenlargements between their ends, and a roller standing within said slotand having trunnions l]our naled in said enlargements in the levers; ofa rod having cranks at its extremities journaled in eyes in the freeends of said levers, hangers depending from the base beneath the body ofthe rod and each having one upright end beyond the transverse line ofsaid eyes, and means for swinging the body of the rod, as and for thepurpose set forth.

6. In a device of thecharacter described, the combination with a slottedbase, a pair of levers pivoted at one end to said base and having eyesat their opposite ends, a roller standing in said slot and havingtrunnions journaled in said levers between their ends, and hangersdepending from the base just inside said levers; of arod whose bodyslides within said hangers and whose ends are cranked and j ournaled inthe eyes of the levers, an arm projecting from the center of the rod atthe opposite side from said cranks and at an angle to their plane ifcontinued through the rod, a handlever, and connections between saidhand-lever and arm, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a basehaving a number of transverse slots, levers pivoted at one end to saidbase and having eyes at their free ends, rollers standing within theslots and having trunnions journaled in the levers between the ends ofthe latter, and hangers depending from the base just inside the leversand each having one upright end toward the rear end of the base, whichupright end stands in rear of the transverse line of the eyes of thelevers; of rods whose bodies move in said hangers and whose ends havecranks journaled in the eyes of the levers, an arm projecting from thecenter at the 0pposite side of each rod from its cranks and at IIO anangle to their plane if continued through scribed my signature the rod,a. rod connecting the arms, a hand- March, A. D. 1894.

ever pivoted beneath the rear of the base and a pitman connecting thehand-lever with CHARLES EDWARDS' 5 the rear arm, all as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subon this the 20th day ofWitnesses:

H. A. HANEY, MILTON SNEAD.

